Radio in Sri Lanka
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Main article: Media of Sri Lanka
Radio broadcasting in Sri Lanka dates back to 1923. Radio broadcasting, like other forms of media in the country, is generally divided along linguistic lines with state and private media operators providing services in Sinhala, Tamil, and English language.
History
The first radio broadcast in Ceylon was in 1923 when recorded music was broadcast using parts of radio equipment from a captured German submarine.[1] Regular broadcasting started in Colombo in July 1924.[1] Ceylon's first radio station Radio Colombo started regular broadcasting on 16 December 1925.[2][3] The station was taken over by the British military during World War 2 who renamed the station Radio SEAC which broadcast across South Asia from October 1944. After the war the station was handed back to the civilian government of Ceylon who renamed it Radio Ceylon in 1 October 1949.[1][3] The station was immensely popular both in Ceylon and other parts of Asia.
The Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation Act No. 37 of 1966 incorporated the Department of Broadcasting.[2] Radio Ceylon became a public corporation on 30 September 1967, changing its name to Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).[2][3] Ceylon was renamed Sri Lanka in 1972 after becoming a republic and consequently CBC was renamed Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC).[2][3]
SLBC broadcast on medium wave until 1993 when FM broadcasting began.[2] 95% of the country received FM transmissions by 1999.[2] The government maintained a monopoly on radio broadcasting until the early 1990s when private radio stations were allowed to broadcast. Today there are numerous private radio stations but the state-owned stations continue to dominate the market.
Radio stations
The following is a list of radio stations based in Sri Lanka.
| Station | Ownership | Owner | Language | Established | FM 1 (MHz) |
FM 2 (MHz) |
Digital (DRM) |
Internet | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddhist Radio | Private | Sri Sambodhi Media Network | Sinhala | 101.3 | N/A | N/A | thebuddhist.tv | ||
| City FM | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | Sinhala | 89.6 | 89.8 | N/A |  | slbc.lk | |
| CRI Sri Lanka | Private | VIS Broadcasting (Pvt) Ltd/ China Radio International | English/Sinhala/ Tamil/Chinese | 97.9 | N/A | N/A | | ||
| E FM | Private | Colombo Communications (Pvt) Ltd | English | December 1999 | 88.3 | N/A | N/A | | efm.lk |
| Everlasting Radio | Private | MJF Media | English | 101.5 | N/A | N/A | | everlasting.lk | |
| FM99 | English/Sinhala/ Tamil | 13 June 1993 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||
| FM Derana | Private | Power House Ltd | Sinhala | 29 March 2009 | 92.2 | 92.4 | N/A | | fmderana.lk |
| Fox FM (formerly New FM, Allai) | Private | Asset Radio Broadcasting (Pvt) Ltd | English | 91.4 | N/A | N/A | | fox914.com | |
| Global Radio / Shri Global Radio | Tamil | 103.1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||||
| GoldFM | Private | Asia Broadcasting Corporation (Pvt) Ltd | English | September 1998 | 93.0 | 93.2 | N/A | | goldfm.lk |
| Hiru FM | Private | Asia Broadcasting Corporation (Pvt) Ltd | Sinhala | 1998 | 96.1 | 96.3 | N/A | | hirufm.lk |
| Isira | Private | Telshan Networks (Pvt) Ltd | Sinhala | 89.1 | N/A | N/A | | tnltvisira.com | |
| Kiss FM (formerly Kiss 898) | Private | Voice of Asia Network (Pvt) Ltd | English | 13 August 2009 | 96.9 | N/A | N/A | | kissfm.lk |
| Kirula Radio | Private | Sinhala | N/A | N/A | N/A | | kirularadio.lk | ||
| Kothmale FM / Kotmale Community Radio | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | Sinhala/Tamil | 97.6 | N/A | N/A | N/A | slbc.lk | |
| Lak FM | Private | Lakview Broadcasting (Pvt) Ltd | Sinhala | 106.0 | 106.2 | N/A | | lakfmradio.com | |
| Lakhanda | State-owned | Independent Television Network | Sinhala | 93.5 | 93.7 | N/A | | lakhanda.lk | |
| Lakviru | Sinhala | 105.2 | 105.4 | N/A | N/A | ||||
| Legends FM (formerly Isura FM, Kirula FM) | Private | MBC Networks | English | 96.6 | N/A | N/A | | ||
| Lite 89.2/Lite FM | Private | TNL Radio Network (Pvt) Ltd | English | 27 February 1999 | 87.6 | 87.8 | N/A | | litefm |
| Neth FM | Private | Asset Radio Broadcasting (Pvt) Ltd | Sinhala | 94.8 | 95.0 | N/A | | nethfm.com | |
| Aquinas Radio | Private | Aquinas University College. | Sinhala & English | 2014 | N/A | N/A | N/A | | aquinasradio.com |
| Pirai FM (Muslim) | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | Tamil | 90.1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | slbc.lk | |
| Radio 99 | Private | Sinhala | N/A | N/A | N/A | | radio99.lk | ||
| Ran FM (formerly Raja FM) | Private | Colombo Communications (Pvt) Ltd | Sinhala | 88.1 | 100.5 | N/A | | ranfm.lk/ | |
| Rangiri Sri Lanka | Private | Rangiri Sri Lanka Media Network | Sinhala | 104.4 | 105.7 | N/A | | rangiri.com | |
| Real Radio | Private | Voice of Asia Network (Pvt) Ltd | English | 97.1 | N/A | N/A | | realradio.lk | |
| Red FM | Private | Carlton Sports Network | English | 99.5 | 99.7 | N/A | | redfm.lk | |
| Rhythm FM (formerly Asura FM) | Private | TNL Radio Network (Pvt) Ltd | Sinhala | 95.6 | 95.8 | N/A | | rhythm.lk | |
| Sarasa Radio | Private | Sinhala | N/A | N/A | N/A | | sarasaradio.blogspot.co.uk | ||
| Seth FM (Negombo only) | Private | Friend Media Network (Pvt) Ltd | Sinhala | 101.8 | N/A | N/A | | sethfm.lk | |
| Shaa FM | Private | Asia Broadcasting Corporation (Pvt) Ltd | Sinhala | 90.9 | 91.1 | N/A | | shaafm.lk | |
| Shakthi FM | Private | MBC Networks | Tamil | 20 November 1998 | 103.9 | 104.1 | N/A | | shakthifm.com |
| Shree FM | Private | Colombo Communications (Pvt) Ltd | Sinhala | 1999 | 100.0 | 100.2 | N/A | | shree.fm |
| Singha FM (formerly Youth Radio) | Private | VIS Broadcasting (Pvt) Ltd | Sinhala | 88.6 | 88.8 | N/A | | singhafm.com | |
| Sirasa FM | Private | MBC Networks | Sinhala | 2 March 1994 | 106.5 | 106.7 | N/A | | sirasa.com |
| Sith FM | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||||
| Siyanesara FM(MUBC) | Private | Media Unit of Bandaranayake College, Gampaha | Sinhala | N/A | N/A | N/A | | ||
| Siyatha FM | Private | Voice of Asia Network (Pvt) Ltd | Sinhala | 98.2 | 98.4 | N/A | | siyatha.com | |
| Siyeli Handa | Private | Sinhala Catholic Radio | Sinhala | 2013 | N/A | N/A | N/A | | lankacatholic.com |
| SLBC Children's Service (Vidula) | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | English/Sinhala/ Tamil | 107.3 | 107.5 | N/A | N/A | slbc.lk | |
| SLBC Commercial Service (Velanda Sevaya) | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | Sinhala | 94.3 | 94.5 | N/A | | slbc.lk | |
| SLBC Commercial Service (Thendral) | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | Tamil | 104.7 | 104.9 | N/A | | slbc.lk | |
| SLBC National Service | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | English | 97.4 | 97.6 | N/A | | slbc.lk | |
| SLBC National Service (Swadeshiya Sevaya) | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | Sinhala | 91.7 | 91.9 | N/A | | slbc.lk | |
| SLBC National Service | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | Tamil | 102.1 | 102.3 | N/A | | slbc.lk | |
| SLBC Regional Service (Dabana) | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | Sinhala | 97.6 | N/A | N/A | N/A | slbc.lk | |
| SLBC Regional Service (Jaffna) | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | Sinhala/Tamil | 90.1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | slbc.lk | |
| SLBC Regional Service (Kandurata Sevaya) | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | Sinhala/Tamil | 107.3 | N/A | N/A | | slbc.lk | |
| SLBC Regional Service (Rajarata Sevaya) | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | Sinhala | 107.3 | N/A | N/A | N/A | slbc.lk | |
| SLBC Regional Service (Ruhunu Sevaya) | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | Sinhala | 107.3 | 107.5 | N/A | N/A | slbc.lk | |
| SLBC Regional Service (Uva) | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | Sinhala | 107.3 | N/A | N/A | N/A | slbc.lk | |
| SLBC Regional Service (Wayamba Handa) | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | Sinhala | 90.1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | slbc.lk | |
| SLBC Sports Service | State-owned | Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation | English/Sinhala/ Tamil | 107.3 | 107.5 | N/A | N/A | slbc.lk | |
| Sooriyan FM | Private | Asia Broadcasting Corporation (Pvt) Ltd | Tamil | 103.4 | 103.6 | N/A | | sooriyanfm.lk | |
| Sun FM | Private | Asia Broadcasting Corporation (Pvt) Ltd | English | 98.7 | 98.9 | N/A | | sunfm.lk | |
| Tel Radio | Private | Sinhala | N/A | N/A | N/A | | telradio.org | ||
| Thaalam FM | Private | Yellowin Media (Pvt) Ltd | Tamil | N/A | N/A | N/A | | thaalamradio.com | |
| Tharu | Sinhala | N/A | N/A | N/A | | tharu.net | |||
| TNL Radio (formerly TNL Rocks) | Private | TNL Radio Network (Pvt) Ltd | English | 99.2 | 101.8 | N/A | | tnlradio.com | |
| V FM | Private | Sri Lanka Television Network (Pvt) Ltd | Sinhala | 107.0 | N/A | N/A | | vfmradio.lk | |
| Vasantham FM | State-owned | Independent Television Network | Tamil | 102.6 | 102.8 | N/A | | vasanthamfm.lk | |
| Varnam FM (formerly Vettri FM) | Private | Voice of Asia Network (Pvt) Ltd | Tamil | 11 February 2008 | 90.4 | 90.6 | N/A | | varnamfm.com |
| VIP Radio (formerly Sath FM) | Private | Sat Net (Pvt) Ltd | Sinhala | 94.0 | N/A | N/A | | vipradiosl.com | |
| Y FM | Private | MBC Networks | Sinhala | 1 December 2005 | 92.7 | N/A | N/A | | yfm.lk |
| Yes FM | Private | MBC Networks | English | 10 December 1993 | 100.8 | 101.0 | N/A | | yesfmonline.com |
| You FM (formerly MAX Radio) | Private | MGM Networks (Pvt) Ltd | Sinhala | 10 September 2006 | 95.3 | N/A | N/A | N/A | youfm.lk |
International broadcasters
Several international broadcasters operate radio stations aimed at Sri Lankan audiences but broadcasting from outside Sri Lanka:
- All India Radio
- BBC World Service Sinhala Service (Sandeshaya)
- BBC World Service Tamil Service (Tamilosai)
- China Radio International Sinhala Service
- China Radio International Tamil Service
- Radio Veritas Asia
Some broadcasters use local transmitters to relay their broadcasts. Deutsche Welle broadcasts are relayed via Trincomalee on medium wave and short wave. Trans World Radio India broadcasts on medium wave using SLBC's transmitter in Puttalam. The International Broadcasting Bureau broadcasts programmes from Voice of America, Radio Azadi, Radio Free Afghanistan, Radio Free Asia, Radio Liberty and Radio Sawa on short wave using the relay station at Iranawila.
References
- "FM Channel Assignment Plan" (PDF). Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka. 30 October 2012.
- Alan G. Davies. "Radio Stations in Sri Lanka". Retrieved 2010-01-01.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sterling, Christopher H. (2003). Encyclopedia of Radio: Volume 1. Taylor & Francis. p. 166. ISBN 0-203-48428-2.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "From Radio Ceylon to SLBC". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 25 January 2009.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Sambandan, V. S. (1 January 2006). "When Ceylon ruled the airwaves". The Hindu.
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